The tea's off, ladies: Potty bureaucracy at the WI means the end of free cuppas for members

For 20 years the thirsty ladies in village halls have received free parcels of Yorkshire Tea.

But now the complimentary cuppas, enjoyed by members in more than 6,000 branches, are to be stopped because of charity law red tape.

Trouble brewing: Free cups of Yorkshire Tea have come to an end for Women's Institutes because of charity law red tape

The decision has caused outrage among the 96-year-old organisation’s 200,000 members – who shook off their once-genteel image with stunts such as the nude calendar that inspired the 2003 film Calendar Girls.

A Facebook group has been launched called ‘Reinstate our Yorkshire Tea’, on which members complain that they were not consulted by the top brass about the decision.

The Facebook page also carries accusations that discussions about the tea on the WI’s own website have been ‘censored’.

Problems started when the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) decided that to protect the WI ‘brand’ Yorkshire Tea needed a contract to supply the organisation with free tea.

But the tea’s makers, Taylor’s of Harrogate, decided the contract wasn’t for them and have now dispatched the last goody boxes.

Save our tea: WI members have set up a Facebook group called 'Reinstate our Yorkshire Tea'

A Yorkshire Tea spokesman explained: ‘It was a case of “we need a contractual relationship”. This wasn’t for us. There were lots of elements to it. We started conversations and we didn’t get that far.

‘It’s been difficult for everyone. We have had super letters of support and thanks from ordinary members. They’re a very vocal bunch and we hope they’ll carry on drinking Yorkshire Tea for years to come.’

The WI blamed the situation on ‘constraints and obligations on the NFWI Board as charity trustees under current charity law’.

A spokesman added: ‘While members are free to accept gifts in kind, no public acknowledgement for the commercial company is allowed in return unless there is an agreed contractual relationship clearly stipulating the terms of engagement.’

The decision could provoke a backlash as fierce as the occasion when members slowclapped and heckled Tony Blair at a 10,000-strong WI conference.

On Facebook, Shirley Markham of Farmborough WI writes: ‘Please NFWI have another think! Our long association with Yorkshire Tea has done nothing but good to many causes and people, why change it if it works?’

Claire Fox, director of the Institute of Ideas, said: ‘How ironic. We have a Government that promises to get rid of red tape and nurture charities yet somehow, the ever-more elaborate, trumped-up regulations imposed on charity trustees means a genuinely altruistic act by business is scuppered.

Winter's back: Snowfall in Scotland as the Big Chill bites again... but in the south the flowers are springing into bloom

A warmer-than-usual February had many hoping that spring was finally here, but winter has returned with a vengeance to parts of the UK.

As swathes of southern England enjoyed sunshine and temperatures in the double-digits, Northern Scotland was plunged back into winter with up to four inches of snow.

Residents in the Inverness area woke up this morning to a snow-covered landscape.

Northern Ireland has also been told to brace itself for a return of the Big Chill, and another four inches could fall in parts of Scotland today while the rest of Britain will be buffeted by continuing strong winds and rain.

Winter landscape: A man walks his dog along a snow-covered street in Culbokie, near Inverness, this morning

A sign of things to come: Snow fell in Scotland overnight and heavier falls are expected this week

Yesterday a man was crushed to death by a lorry after gale force winds toppled it on to a pedestrian crossing as winter made an unexpected return today.

A women was also injured by the overturned truck as people fled in panic as the HGV careered towards them in Leeds city centre.

And following the heavy wind yesterday, the Met Office issued another weather warning for heavy snow in the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland today with a risk of blizzard conditions.

West Yorkshire Police said a curtain-sided lorry overturned on Neville Street, Leeds, yesterday and confirmed that a man injured in the incident died from his injuries in hospital and a woman is still being treated for her injuries.

The force also said a person had been seriously injured in a separate accident on the A1 near Pontefract when a lorry blew over and four cars collided with each other.

High winds battered Yorkshire for much of yesterday, causing some minor structural damage to buildings and problems on the roads.

There were a number of weather-related incidents including a Mercedes sprinter van blowing over on the northbound carriageway of the A1 on Thursday afternoon, two miles south of Dishforth The two occupants were uninjured.

An HGV was also blown over on the southbound carriageway just south of the Boroughbridge junction, police said.

And elsewhere a tree was blown over onto a train at Knaresborough station, leaving two passengers with minor injuries, while a large tree collapsing in Ripon caused damage to nearby parked vehicles.

Blown over: High winds caused this lorry to overturn on a main road in Leeds, killing a pedestrian, as the gales continued to batter the north of the country

Major disruption: The lorry had been on Neville Street in the centre of Leeds when the incident occurred

Metal, plastic and other debris were reported on the A1 near Dishforth and a van also lost part of its roof on the A1. And a fence was blown over in the village of Drax near Selby, allowing sheep to escape from a field.

The weather has also caused problems in Scotland, where an elderly motorist died and another person was injured as a result of a four vehicle pile-up on a notorious stretch of the A9 in Highland Perthshire.

A 70-year-old man had to be cut free from his vehicle and received treatment at the scene but he died as a result of his injuries a short time later.

A spokesman for Tayside Police confirmed there had been one fatality and that at least one other person required medical assistance at the crash scene at Calvine.

More problems: The winds affected roads in other areas, including the A1 where a lorry was blown over at the Boroughbridge junction

The return of the snow follows a sunny start to March for much of the country and a milder than usual February.

Dave Britton, a Met Office spokesman, said: ‘It’s going to be very windy and there will be some snow in Scotland, Cumbria and Northumbria.

‘We have got a band of rain coming in today and it will turn to snow this evening for parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern England. On hills there’s the potential for 5 to 10cm (2 to 4ins) by Saturday evening, while parts of Scotland could get up to 30cm (12ins) by then.’

He said weather warnings were in place for Scotland over the next couple of days and for England today.

The snow showers will be accompanied by strong winds in England, with gusts up to 30mph. While the rest of Britain will escape the snow, it will be a dull and occasionally rainy weekend.

Signs of spring: While the windy weather continues, daffodils were blossoming in St James' Park in London, suggesting that winter is on the way out

The west will see most of the wet weather on Saturday, while eastern parts will get the rain on Sunday.

But Monday is expected to be mostly dry with some sunshine.

The long-term forecast is for mostly settled weather in England over the next month, with less rain than normal for March and early April, although there could be some bitterly cold nights.

Scotland and Northern Ireland are likely to be more unsettled, the Met Office said. Britain was buffeted by gale force winds yesterday, with gusts of 65 to 75mph.

Despite the snow flurries, wildlife experts say the seasons are back on schedule after an early upset.

The coldest December in 100 years delayed the start of the earliest spring flowers, such as snowdrops and crocuses, by two or three weeks. But daffodils are now bursting into life on time.

Mr Britton said: ‘Although December was cold, February was relatively mild. This winter was not as cold as last winter.’

Windy walkers: One person was caught in a sandstorm on Tynemouth beach caused by the high winds, while walking their dog

Looking for attention: A Dogue de Bordeaux keeps a keen eye out for da lady dogs at Crufts in Birmingham. Is that bib an atttempt to catch the enormous amount of saliva he produces?

Limelight: Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly filmed a segment for their ITV1 show Push the Button in the main arena

Television presenters Ant and Dec - Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly - briefly stole the limelight from the animals as they filmed a segment for their ITV1 show Push the Button in the main arena.

The 'secret challenge' involved members of two competing families testing their dog handling skills in a timed agility exercise.

The competitors each led a dog around an obstacle course which included a number of jumps, a tunnel and a seesaw.

The presenters, who back competing families in the programme, will not find out the results of the challenge until it is aired on Saturday evening.

Cheering his team on from the side of the arena, Ant joked: 'I am proper nervous, I am going to start running around (the course) myself.'

Dec told the crowd he was impressed with the good behaviour of the dogs he had seen at the show, adding:

'My girlfriend has got a dog, she's got a little dachshund. It's a cheeky little thing... very very disobedient.'

Crufts, which is sponsored by furniture retailer dfs, will be screened on More4, with Clare Balding at the helm. The channel is extending its coverage of the event to two hours each night, from March 10-13.

You looking at me? The Crufts annual dog show at the NEC, is celebrating its 120th year

A fully-updated version of the documentary Good Dog! Bad Dog! from Mentorn Media will air at the same time, examining the issues and concerns surrounding dog welfare, responsible dog ownership and best practice in dog breeding.

The BBC pulled out of covering the event in 2009 following a documentary which alleged that dogs on show often suffer from genetic diseases following years of inbreeding.

Up, up and away! This one-eyed dog may not be pawfect but he's qualified to compete at Crufts despite his disability. Dudley the Blue Cross rescue mutt developed an infection before he was born and vets had to remove one eye

But Caroline Kisko, Secretary of the Kennel Club which organises the event, says Crufts is a celebration of the special relationship between man and dog.

'It offers people the opportunity to explore the issues surrounding how to buy, breed, train and care for a dog responsibly, so that everybody involved in dogs can help them to lead healthy, happy lives.'

As well as a one-eyed rescue dog called Dudley competing this year, the show also features the first deaf canine, Zippy. The dog is just 20 months old and was born deaf. His trainer Vicky says,

'As Zippy can’t hear me, it is important that we have eye contact, so he can see the hand signals for the commands. Generally, I touch his nose first and then touch my nose to make sure he is looking at me before I give him the hand signal. Zippy is a clever dog and very quick to learn. He is a real inspiration.'

Paws for thought: A Pointer gazes into the distance as he dreams of some choice cuts in his food bowl later

Furry best wishes: A dog surrounded by good luck cards from well wishers...and some fluffy toys thrown in for good measure

Thursday, March 10, 2011

British Dentist Suspended for

Farting and Belching on Job

Some dentists use laughing gas on the job, but one British dentist has been suspended for using the human kind instead.

Authorities at the British General Dental Council say they will removeMatthew Walton, 35, from the official Dentist's Register next month for a variety of offensive offenses, including farting and belching in front of patients and staff.

In addition, Walton has been accused of swearing and making "V-sign" hand gestures to patients and staff behind their backs.

Getty Images

British dentist Matthew Walton has had his license suspended for a variety of offenses, including passing gas and belching in front of his patients.

Walton had been employed at a dental practice in Whitchurch, Shropshire, but officials ruled that his conduct truly stunk and required immediate suspension of his registration "for the protection of the public."

The list of tacky transgressions includes:

Breaking wind during appointments

Telling a patient he had bad breath

Making derogatory comments about unemployed patients

Pushing a nervous teenage patient back into his chair, telling him, "You will sit and let me do it."

Walton admitted all the allegations about clinical matters, but denied some of the allegations of poor conduct. However, the committee said, "In the course of your evidence you did make further concessions regarding the [conduct] allegations."

The committee also concluded it had "taken into account the nature of your misconduct both towards patients and staff and your clinical failings" and also "your lack of insight and lack of remediation."

Unless Walton appeals the suspension, he will be forbidden from legally working as a dentist in the United Kingdom.

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